An Interview With Mia Love

Ever heard of Mia Love? If you haven’t yet, no worries, because you will. She’s a rising conservative star in Utah. She’s the daughter of Haitian immigrants, was the first black mayor in Utah, and would be the first black woman ever to serve as a Republican in the House.

As you’ll see in this video, she’s impressive. Very impressive.

What follows is an interview done by email with Mia Love. I think you may particularly like the answers to #3, #4 and #5. Enjoy — and if you like her answers, of course, she could use your support.

1. There are some other candidates running for the GOP nomination in your district including Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, former State Representative Carl Wimmer and South Jordan resident Jay Cobb. Why should Republican primary voters choose you over those other candidates?

I share a lot of similarities with the other candidates in this race. We all oppose an out-of-control, expanding federal government. We all oppose stifling regulation and excessive taxes. We are all strong believers in the Constitution. We all want Jim Matheson to come home.

However, I have executive experience as a Mayor in a city that was on the brink of financial collapse. Instead of raising taxes at a time when that was the simple and easy solution to a budget crisis, I cut taxes and trimmed the size of our local government. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I have worked with my community and put these conservative economic principles to work where the rubber meets the road. Under my leadership, the city of Saratoga Springs enjoys the highest bond rating available and has a bright economic outlook. This is the kind of leadership Washington needs, and that is what sets me apart from the other candidates–my experience implementing the values we all cherish as Republicans.

2. Now, if you win, you’ll be taking on Jim Matheson, who’s expected to be a tough opponent. Why should the citizens of your district vote for you over Jim Matheson?

I am going to Washington to attack problems, not people. Jim Matheson is not a bad person, but the policies he has supported during his time in Washington are bad for America. His record is evidence–to put it simply–that he is out of touch with Utah. His record shows that he believes it is acceptable for the federal government to expand its reach, restrict our liberties and spend money it doesn’t have. His record is evidence that he believes government knows how to handle money better than the households that make up this great country and that government makes decisions better than the people.
I could not disagree more with this way of thinking. I want more control to be returned to the people. I trust the good people of this country. I trust the mothers and fathers who want to provide a better life for their children. I trust the citizens know best what to do with their money–not the federal government. I want to return power to the states. I want to enable more local control. I want to return power to the household. Jim Matheson has proven, for over a decade, that he is willing to reduce our choices and freedoms and give the federal government more control over our lives. I oppose this. The people of the 4th Congressional District in Utah oppose this. My experience as a leader in local government gives voters the opportunity to send someone to Washington who will fight for Utah values.
Jim Matheson has voted for Nancy Pelosi every time she has run for Speaker of the House. He knows she does not represent Utah values. I will not support leaders and policies that do not stand for the things we value in the 4th District. I am running to change Washington. I am someone who can go to Congress, stand out, and get results because I am a new messenger for the principles of economic freedom.

3. You said you have an extensive plan to reduce government spending that includes ending the “Department of Education, and repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law.” Can you tell us more about that?

Excessive government regulation is stifling economic growth in American and contributing to our unsustainable national deficit. I plan to tackle policies, programs and bureaucracies that impose unreasonable regulations on business and individuals and that limit local control. I believe the federal government does not know how to educate our children better than our local schools and parents.
No single congressional representative can repeal Obamacare on their own. There is no magic pen that allows a member of congress to sign away any of our overgrown departments. The ability to create massive changes lies in the voice of the people. The people in this country have spoken. They do not want Obamacare. They are tired of ineffective government programs. They are tired of the abuses of the EPA. My plan is to take that message with me and work tirelessly, with anyone who is willing to work with me, and peel away the layers of oppressive federal control.

4. I want to quote the beginning of a column you wrote about the Tea Party, “I have yet to meet a tea party member who wants to see me “hanging on a tree,” as U.S. Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana recently suggested. He says the tea party considers me a second-class citizen. In truth, as a black conservative woman in Utah, I have been welcomed into the arms of a freedom-loving movement. The tea party reflects the principles of freedom and prosperity black Americans have long fought to win.” Why do you think so many liberals accuse the Tea Party of racism?

The Tea Party movement has succeeded in shifting the national political narrative toward reducing government spending and programs. For decades the federal government has expanded well beyond its constitutional limitations, creating unsustainable debts and deficits with severe consequences to our economy and our people. Wrangling over what to cut and eliminate is a relatively new process in Washington which threatens the liberal left agenda of expanding government and programs. Shouting racism has long been a weak tactic for attempting to shut down debate in the absence of a principled response.

5. You said, “I would join the Congressional Black Caucus and try to take that thing apart from the inside out.” Tell us why.

I am often asked if I would join the Congressional Black Caucus. It is my intention to join the CBC if elected to Congress. I would join Rep. Alan West in promoting conservative principles from within the Caucus. I believe fiscal discipline, limited government and personal responsibility are vital to a stronger America. Nowhere is this message more important than among the lawmakers who profit from promoting an unsustainable entitlement system rife with failed poverty programs that perpetuates the culture of government dependency and discourages self-reliance among black Americans. This is the antithesis of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream, and their constituents need to know their representatives want to keep them on the “government plantation.”